Sheet-feeding machine



R. D. SCHOENWETIER. SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED-JULY 23,1919.

Patented May 23, 192...

3 SHEETS-SHEET L R. D. SCHOENWETTER. SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mules. 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2 9 1 9% W M w W m a P Arm/m B. 0. 'SCHOENWETTER. I SHEET FEEDINGMACHINE. p APPLICATION FILED- JULY 2311919.

Patented May23, 1922.

.3SHEETS-SHEET 3.

BY W f A TTOR/VE-Y REINI-TOLD ID. SCITOENWETTER, OE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFBALTIMORE,

.MABIYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

SHEET-FEEDING Macrame:

iaiaees.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pafiitn'iifiitll May 23,1922,

Original application filed May 17, 1917, Seria1= No. 1693453. Dividedand this application filed July 23, 1919. Serial No.312,704

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, REINI-IOLD D.Sci-tornwmrrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing atBaltimore, inthe State of Maryland, have invented; certain new and usefulTmprovements 1n bheetFeedmg Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowlng to be a full, clear, and exact description of the mvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to sheet feeding ma-- chines.

This application is a division of my allowedapplication torLettersPatent, S. N. 169,248, filed May 17, 1917, for cigarbandingmachines.

More specifically, my invention relates to improvements in sheet ieedingmachines for use in cigar banding machines, in which a supply oi cigarbands, each having a dry gummed end, is carried in a magazine. The cigarbands are stacked one upon another and delivered one at a time to thewetting iz'iechanism and then to the band applying mechanism proper.

in such machines, it is of great importance that the hands be withdrawnfrom the mag azine singly and not two or more at a time and that theband he delivered to the band applying mechanism in exactly the rightposition to be applied to the cigar.

In carrying out my invention, 1 make use of the instrumentalitiesillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of my improved machine with. partsomitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section partly in elevation of my improved machine.

l ig. 8 is a :i'ragmentary elevation partly in sectionof the bandmagazine.

Fig. 4- is anenlarged detail perspective view o'f one oi. the bandejecting fingers.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section partly in elevation ofthe band magazine showing the ejecting fingers thrust inwardly to causethe bulging of the lowermost bands.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical central section through one oi thesuctionheads.

Fig. '7 is :1 top plan View of one of the cigar bands.

The machine as here shown comprises,

amongst other parts, a band magazine conslsting of two uprightvertically ribbed plates 1 and 2 mounted: for horizontal adjustmentmeans of: screws 3 and 4: and slots and Gupon portions of the frame ofthe machine, and each carrying upon its inner face twoflanged verticallydisposed gu desi, 8 and. 9, 10, respectively, the said guides formingtwo vertical. channels in which thecigar bands 11 are stacked asshownmost clearly in Figs. 3 and 5.

The above-mentioned channels are open at their upper ends, but extendingthereinto at their bottoms are two rigid ledges 12 and 13, respectively,the upper faces of which are beveled so as to form two supportingsurfaces converging towards each other. Normally, these ledges supportthe stack of bands in the magazine, the opposite ends of the lowermostband engaging said ledges at their bases, the forward ends or tips ofthe ledgesbeing entirely free from the bands as shown most clearly inFig. 3 and permiting of the free bulging of the lowermost band as-shownin Fig. 5.

Each of: the cigar bands in the case here illustrated is provided on oneof: its faces adjacent toone end witha coating 141: of gum arabic orother suitable adhesive which, as hereinbefore stated, is dry when thebands are placedin the magazine. The bands are stacked in the magazine,all with the gummed ends in the same direction and with their gummedfaces up.

It has heretofore been found very difficult to withdraw the lowermostband from a stack otsuperposed bands carried in a magazine, with theassurance that the next band above will not follow. This difiiculty islargely due to the weight of the bands which tends to cause those moreimmediately adjacent to the lower one to follow it when the latter iswithdrawn.

Themagazine which I here provide is de signed to eliminate this weightof the bands on the lowermost oneduring the operation of withdrawing theband, and with this end in view, I have provided a. magazine which isdesigned tocause the lowermost bands to bulge orextend outwardly fromthe stack and thereby not be subject to the effect above mentioned whenbeing removed. Moreover, this method of operation separates thelowermost band from the one next above when,

for any reason, they have been stuck together.

For the purpose of effecting the above described bulging of thelowermost bands downwarchl provide two tongues 16 and 17 fast,respectively, upon depending arms 18 and 19 of two bell crank leverspivotally mounted upon the uprights 1 and 2. These levers are provided,respectively, with arms 20 and 21, each of which is curved so as tofollow the are of a circle. These latter arms extend into openings intwo arms 22 and 23 fast on a rock shaft 24. I

For the purpose of imparting angular motion to this shaft, there is madefast thereto a depending arm 25, the lower end of which is flexiblyconnected throu h a link 25 to a rocker arm 26 formed on a collar 26fast on a rock shaft 27. Also, fasten this shaft is an arm 28 whichconnects through a link 29 to a lever 30 carrying a roller 31 whichtravels in a cam slot or groove 32 in one face of'a disk 33 fast on apower shaft 341 which latter may be driven from any desired source ofpower.

The inner faces of the tongues 16 and 1'? are serrated and arebackwardly sloping or beveled, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4; and 5.Shorter bands must be pressed from the ends more than longer ones toproduce the same bulging.

It will be seenthat when uprights 1 and 2 are moved closer together, theeffective horizontal parts of levers 20 and 21 shorten, thus imparting alonger movement to the tongues 16 and 17 In this way, when uprights 1and 2 are moved towards or away from each other, the same bulging isproduced without requiring adjustment of position of lovers 22 and 23.

The bands are actually withdrawn from the magazine by suction, for whichpurpose I have provided in the machine shown, amongst other parts, asuction head 35 rigidly mounted upon one end of the crooked metal tube36 rigidly secured to a supporting frame 37 vertically slida-ble inguides 38 and adapted to receive vertical reciprocatory mo tion, forwhich purpose said frame 37 is connected through a link 39 to a lever 40carrying a roller 11 adapted to travel in an cecentric groove or slot 42in one face of the disk 33. The lower end of the tube 36 is connectedthrough a flexible tube 43 to the forward end of one of the cylinders Hof a double air pump 44 driven from a disk 45 having an eccentric groove4.6 therein in which travels a roller 47 carried by a lever e8 connectedthrough a link 49 to the piston crosshead 50 of the air pump.- The disk.5 is mounted upon a shaft 51 which receives its motion from power shaft34 through sprocket gearing 3 i 52 and 53. The suction head 35 isprovided in its upper. end with two ports or air openings 54, 55, whichcommunicate through a common passage 56 with the pipe 36. Inserted inthe upper ends of these ports (A, are two short rubber tubes or nipples57 and which extend slightly above the upper surface or face of theSliction head.

The bands are removed from the magazine by the above described suctionmechanism and are delivered to a ronveyor which, in the machine hereshown, comprises a pair of metal belts 59 and ('30 which are made totravel in the direction of their length in any approved manner. Fast onthe conveyor belts 59 and (30. respectively. are a series of springclips 73 and 79 spaced at regular intervals thereon. The function ofthese clips is to remove the bands one at a. time from the suction head3? and hold them in position on the conveyor belts until they areremoved thercfrmn and applied for any desired purpose.

The manner of driving the conveyor belts 59 and (it) and the use forwhich the hands delivered thereto from my improved sheet feeding machineare employed being no part of my present invention are not hereinl'urther illustrated or deseribml.

The operation of my improved sheet feeding machine is as follows ltwillbe assumed that shalt ll is in rm tation and continues so throiugrhout acomplete cycle of the nnnchinc. The continued rotation of the shaft 31results tluough the movement imparting mechanism de.--;cribed. in thealternate movement of the tongues It) and If towards and away from eachother: an up and down movement of the suction head 35, and areciproraiiiu motion of the pump pistons. 7

At the beginning of the cycle, the tongues 18 and 17 are thrust inward,as shown in Fig. 5, causing the lowermost bands to bulge and theremainder of the stack of bands to be lifted, as shown. The tube 3(3rises. thereby causing the suction head to travel upward and bring therubber nipples 57 and 5S thereon into engagement with the lowermostband. closing the suction hca d ports filand 55. t this instant. thepiston of the pump it starts on its outward stroke. thereby creatingsuction against the band in engagement with the suction head and holdingit firmly thereon. After pausing with the suction head in the positiondescribed. the tube 36 travels downward causing the suction head 35 todescend and carry with it the hand held thereon by suction. i

The suction head 35 continues its travel downward until it reaches theposition indicated in Fig. 2 with the hand held just above the conveyorbelts. said hand being still held on the suction head by suction. Theconveyor belts then advi'incc. whereupon a pair and '79 engage the cigarhand held of clips to by the suction hear. 35, remove it from saidLia-lanes piston reverses its stnolre, thereby reversingthe suctionapplied to; the head 35. This operation can be then repeatedindefinitely.

i It should be understood that, while the expression cigar band is,used, this is intended; to include other strips or sheets of flexiblematerial, the said expression being used merely tor convenience.

lclaimz i a,

l. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a staclt oi?superposed cigar bands, of. means acting endwise on 1 said bands forbulging downward one or more bands ad acent to the bottom of the stackto separate them from those above and for lifting the latter.

E2. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed cigar bands, ol'pmeans acting; periodically and endwise onsaid bands for bulging downward one or morebands adjacent to the bottomof the stack to separate them "from those above andt'or lifting thelatter. 3. The combination with a, magazine adapted to contain stack ofsuperposed cigar bands, of means for bulging downward one or more bandsadjacent to the bottom of the staclt to separate them from those above,said band bulging means acting to simultaneously lift the stack of bandslocated above those which are bulged downward.

i. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed cigar bands, of means for bulging downward one or more of thebands adjacent to the bottom of the stack with arcs oi? diflferen'tradii and for lifting the remaining bands.

5. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack o'l?superposed cigar bands, of means for lifting the upper bands and forbulging downward one or more of the bands adjacent to the bottom of thestack with arcs of diiierent radii, the lowermost band having thesmallest radius.

6. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ot'superposed cigar bands, of means including a pair of movable tongues,and mechanism to cause said tongues to travel towards each other toexert pressure against opposite ends of the bands adjacent to the bottomof the stack to cause the latter to bulge downward and to lift the upperbands.

7. The combination with a magazine having a pair of upright channelsadapted to contain superposed cigar bands stacked therein and adownwardly beveled lip at the lower end of each of said channels adaptedto normally support the stack of bands, of a pair or movable tonguesadapted to extend respectively into said channels above said lips, andmechanism to cause said tongues to alternately approach and recede fromeach other to cause the lowermost bands in the stack to alternatelybulge and to straighten out and to lift the upper bands.

8. The combination with a magazine having means to support a stack oi?superposed cigar bands at their opposite ends, ofmeans including a pairof movable tongues, and means to cause the same to exert pressureagainst opposite ends of the bands adjacent to the bottom of the stackto cause the lat ter to bulge downward and to lift the upper bands. a

9: The combination with amagazine having means to support a stack} oisuperposed cigar bands at their opposite ends, of means including a pairof movable tongues having ser 'ated faces, and means to cause said facesoil: the tongues to exert pressure against opposite ends of the bandsadjacent to the bottom oifthe stack to cause the latter to bulgedownward and to lift the upper bands.

10. The combination with a magazine having means to support a stack ofsuperposed cigar bands at their opposite ends, ofmeans including a pairof movable tongues having backwardly inclined band engaging faces, andmeans to cause the said faces of the tongues to exert pressure againstopposite ends of the hands adjacent to the bottom of the stack to causethe latter to bulge downward and to litt the upper bands.

11. The combination witha magazine having two upright channels adaptedto contain a stack of superposed cigar bands and having stationary lipsat the bottoms of said channels to normally support said bands at theiropposite ends, a pair of movable tongues adapted to travel transverselyof said channels to engage opposite ends of said bands near the bottomoi said channbls, a pair of bell-crank levers on which the respectivetongues are mounted, and mechanism to operate said levers to cause saidtongues to alternately travel towards and rccede from each other.

12. The combination with a magazine having two upright channels adaptedtocontain a stack of s'uperposed cigar bands and having stationary lipsat the bottoms of said nected to said curved arms to permit the latterto he slid trz'insversely of said rocker arms, and means for impartingmotion to said rocker arms to cause said tongues to alternately traveltowards and recede from each other.

13. The combination with a magazine having a pair of upright channelsadapted to contain a stack of superposed cigar. bands of means to adjustthe horizontal distance between said channels, means acting on oppositeends of bands within said channels to cause one or more bands at thelower end of the stack to bulge downward, and means to maintain the arcsof the bulged bands substantially constant for difierent adjustments ofsaid channels without adjusting the bulging means. i

H. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed cigar bands, of means adapted to lift the up permost bandsand exert pressure on the opposite ends of the lowermost band o'lthestack to cause one or more hereof to bulge downward, and suction meansacting upon the lowermost bulged band of the stack to remove thesamefrom the magazine.

15. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed cigar bands, of periodically acting means adapted to lifttheuppermost bands and exert pressure on the opposite ends of the lowermostband of the stack to cause one or more thereof to bulge downward, andperiodically acting suction means acting upon the lowermost bulged bandof the stack to remove the same from the magazine.

16. The combination with a magazine adapted. to contain a stack ofsuperposed bands of means for causing a partial separation of a band atthe end of the stack from the adjacent band and for removing the weightof the uppermost hand therefrom and means for subsequently removing saidend band from the stack.

17. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed bands, of means for causing the separation of a portion of aband at the end of the stack from the adjacent band and for removing theweight of the uppermost hand therefrom and means for subsequentlyengaging the separated portion for removing said end band from thestack.

18. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofsuperposed bands, of means for bulging downward a portion of thelowermost band, and for removing the weight of the uppermost bandtherefrom and means for subsequently engaging the bulged portion forremoving said lowermost band from the stack.

19. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a stack of suiierposed bands, of means for bulging downward a portion of thelowermost band, and for removing the weight of the uppermost bandtherefrom and pneumatic means for subso quently engaging the bulgedportion for removing said lowermost band from the stack.

In testimony \vl'lereoi, l: allix my signature.

RElNl'fllLD D. SCl-IOENWETTE h.

